Letters to the editor for Thursday, February 27, 2014

Thursday

Feb 27, 2014 at 12:01 AM

I am a Canadian who lives here for the winter. I attended the Nationwide Drive4COPD race on Saturday. I have to say that was the most disgusting version of the national anthem I have ever heard — the most disrespectful thing I have ever witnessed for an anthem. I don’t know what Daytona International Speedway was thinking, hiring these guys to do the anthem, but let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. I’m quite sure it won’t.Janet KonatowskiBrighton, Ontario, Canada

The uproar over the recent creative rendition of our national anthem at the Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300 is just another example of people stuck in tradition. As a pastor’s wife, I can attest that we deal with this same problem in the church. Let someone render a new arrangement of “Amazing Grace,” and you would think the world was coming to an end. I thought the members of the rock group Madison Rising were unique in their interpretation, and outstanding in their presentation, of what some fans often ignore as too routine to be worthy of their participation.Standing on the field with those young men, I have never heard a more impassioned rendition of our national anthem (sans Whitney Houston). Their patriotism and excitement over being selected for such an important task created an electric atmosphere on the field as the fireworks reminded us to appreciate our nation’s birth. Perhaps those who disapproved should have listened with their hearts rather than their ears.Maureen DurhamDaytona Beach

Thank you to News-Journal reporter Lyda Longa for remembering Kanwaljit Singh in the hate-crime shooting. If his 13-year-old son had not been with him, Mr. Singh would likely have bled to death in his car atop of Dunlawton Bridge.The excellent and timely article Feb. 22 on the anniversary of this hate crime in our community reassures us that the News-Journal and our fine police have not forgotten him and other minorities who might be targets of horrific attacks. On behalf of the Sikh community, thank you for writing this important and thoughtful article.Kirpal and Phyllis SinghPort Orange

There’s an amusing adage that states: “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.” That seems to be a reasonable way of describing a duck. I wonder if a similar conclusion could be reached in defining the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. So let’s give Obamacare the “duck test.” With a law containing over 2,200 pages and thousands of pages of regulations, that has spawned endless presidential decrees, it is difficult, if not impossible, to recognize the health care directive. With all the confusion, I’m afraid the ACA doesn’t pass the “look test” and has only left the nation with ruffled feathers.Continuing, let’s apply the “walk test” to Obamacare. Although Obamacare was brought online with a great deal of applause and celebration, the ACA’s flawed startup is well documented. But more important, the law has resulted in unwarranted consequences for millions of Americans including the loss of doctors, higher insurance costs and government-dictated insurance plans and choices. Despite all the fanfare, it appears that the ACA’s “walk” initiative has failed and is only waddling forward.And finally, the “quack test.” If one thing stands out about Obamacare, it’s the erosion of faith in the government resulting from the overreach of the ACA. Sadly, misleading communication, political hijinks and the president’s questionable directives have left Americans with unanswered health questions. Despite all the rhetoric, the ACA does not meet the “quack test” and has only produced pathetic squawks. With the conclusion of the “duck test,” we can now determine whether the ACA has met its highly touted expectations. Unfortunately, upon reviewing the data, it is quite clear that Obamacare is actually a turkey! Ron BuntonDeBary

Wedged in among all the race coverage of the Daytona 500 was an interesting Q&A by News-Journal sportswriter Ken Willis, with a political twist. Among the questions he posed to Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, an apparent race fan who was at the track, was this: “Do you think the EPA would ever allow us to race on the beach again?” The United States representative, whose district includes most of Volusia County, responded: “They don’t let us do very much anymore. That’s part of the problem.” Those of us in this area need look no further than Mosquito Lagoon to see the consequences of environmental abuses of our waterways.Are we to assume our congressman believes that our valuable natural resources don’t need some governmental restrictions to resolve this crisis and prevent others? We have seen what happens when there is unfettered use and abuse.

Margie SchlageterDaytona Beach

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.